Contagion
by xfilesguy123
Summary: Zack is infected with a rare and deadly virus. As his condition worsens, his only hope is the dedicated team of doctors working on him and Cody, who is determined to help his brother. Rated T for language and some disturbing content
1. Chapter 1 Stomach Ache

I already have a fic like this going but thought the plot might work for the Suite Life. I'll try to make it sound as professional and real as possible.

_I don't own the Suite Life or any of its' characters. The two main doctors and hospital staff are mine as are other characters. _

Chapter 1 Stomach Ache

Zack Martin moaned as he threw his bookbag onto his bed.

"Zack, are you OK? You don't look so good and you've been kind of sluggish since school let out," said Cody.

"I've got a bad stomach ache," said Zack, sitting down on his bed.

"You probably just need to use the bathroom," said Cody.

"I guess," said Zack. He laid down.

"It just hurts so much," said Zack.

"Probably something you ate," said Cody, pulling out his homework.

"I don't know. Maybe I should have Mom take me to the hospital," said Zack. Cody walked over and sat down on Zack's bed.

"That bad, huh?" asked Cody. Zack nodded. He let out a moan and clutched his stomach.

"I think you were right about me having to use the bathroom," said Zack. He jumped up and ran to the bathroom. Cody shrugged his shoulders and went back to his homework.

At dinner, Zack was still having pain.

"Zack, are you feeling OK?" asked Carey. "You haven't touched your food."

"It's my stomach. It hurts," said Zack. "It's been hurting all afternoon."

"Mom, I think he needs to go to the hospital. He doesn't look so good," said Cody. Carey sighed.

"OK. Let's go. Luckily I don't have to work tonight," said Carey. Cody helped his brother to the door while Carey grabbed her keys.

(Do the Martins have a car? They do now)

Zack and Cody sat down in the waiting room while Carey went to sign Zack in when they arrived at the hospital. A good thirty minutes passed and still no doctor had seen Zack.

"Mom, it's getting worse," said Zack. Carey walked over to the receptionist.

"My son says his stomach ache is getting worse. Is there something you could do? There's not that many people," said Carey.

"We're short staffed tonight. A flu bug is making it's way through our staff. There is someone who might be able to help your son. Let me see if he's in," said the receptionist.

"Thank you so much," said Carey. The receptionist walked through a door and headed towards a nearby office. A man was inside looking over some files.

"Hey, Jim, you busy?" asked the receptionist.

"Sort of, Polly. Why?" asked Dr. Jim Miller.

"There's a kid out here with a bad stomach ache. It'd be nice if you can take a look at him. The mother's getting kind of worried," said Polly.

"Polly, I'm not a physician. I'm a specialist," said Jim.

"Jim, you can sometimes spot things the other doctors can't. Come on. Just this once," said Polly. Jim sighed and put the file down.

"Sure. Why not?" asked Jim. He followed Polly back out to the waiting room.

"Mrs. Martin," said Polly, waving Carey over. Carey and Cody helped Zack stand up and led him over to Jim and Polly. Jim raised an eyebrow when he saw Zack. Kid had a really bad stomach ache. He could barely walk.

"This is Dr. Miller. He'll be more then happy to help," said Polly, going back to her desk.

"Yeah. Hi. I'm Jim Miller," said Jim, shaking Carey's hand.

"Carey Martin," said Carey. "My son Zack has had a bad stomach ache since school."

"OK. Follow me," said Jim. He led them to an empty examining room.

"I'm using Room 6," said Jim to a nearby nurse.

"Whatever you got to do, Jim," said the nurse. Jim closed the door. Zach was already lying on the table. Jim started to wash his hands.

"So, Zack, did this start right after school?" asked Jim.

"Yeah," said Jim.

"Did you use the bathroom to see if that was the problem?" asked Jim, drying his hands off.

"Yeah. It helped a little," said Zack.

"Well. Let's take a look then," said Jim. Zack held up his shirt. Jim felt Zack's stomach.

"Any pain?" asked Jim.

"Yeah," said Zack.

"Where?" asked Jim.

"Everywhere," said Zack. Jim nodded.

"Does it hurt more at a certain spot?" asked Jim.

"Near my bellybutton," said Zack. Jim nodded. He was on to something. He examined Zack for a couple more minutes before he had his answer.

"Good thing you brought him in. His appendix burst or is about to burst," said Jim.

"Oh my," said Carey.

"No big deal. He will need an operation but it's a simple one," said Jim. He opened the door.

"Hey, Pattie. Go get Tom for me. Tell him I got an appendix case," said Jim.

"That didn't take long. Are you sure?" asked Patti.

"Positive. Hey, I am CDC," said Jim.

"You're CDC?" asked Cody.

"Yeah. I work here as a specialist. Occasionly they have me look at a patient when they're short staffed," said Jim. A few minutes later a doctor walked into the room.

"Hi. I'm Dr. Tom Parrish," said the doctor.

"This is Carey Martin and her son Zack and her other son Zack. Sorry, didn't get your name," said Jim.

"It's Cody," said Cody.

"Zack here needs his appendix removed," said Jim.

"Hey," said Zack.

"OK. Really simple procedure. If the appendix burst it will be a little more complicated," said Tom. It took ten minutes to get Zack ready for his operation. Carey and Cody said goodbye to him outside the OR doors.

"I love you, Zack, and I'll see you soon," said Carey.

"OK, Mom," said Zack. Carey kissed him on the cheek. Cody gave his brother a hug.

"Good luck, brother," said Cody.

"I'll be fine," said Zack. He waved as he was taken into the OR. Tom and his team were waiting. Zack was helped onto the operating table. A gas mask was held over his face.

"Deep breaths, Zack," said Tom. Zack felt himself growing tired.

"We'll see you soon," said Tom. Zack was soon fast asleep. His mouth was forced opened and a tube was put down his throat. Tape was put over his eyes. Tom went to work. He made a small incision into Zack,s stomach. He felt around inside Zack for the appendix. When he found it, he found that it had already burst. Tom removed it and then he and his team got ready to clean out Zack's stomach. Suddenly blood flowed out of Zack's stomach.

"Wow," said Tom. That was way too much blood for an appendix.

"We need to open him up completely. There's something very wrong going on inside Zack's stomach," said Tom.

Whew! Tried to make that sound professional. Sorry if it was cheesy. I appreciate reviews. They make my day. Please review.


	2. Chapter 2 The Problem in Zack Martin

Chapter 2 The Problem in Zack Martin's Stomach

Tom and his team opened Zack up all the way. Zack's simple appendix surgery was now turning into a major operation. Tom dug through Zack's intestines as he tried to stop the bleeding.

"Someone go get, Jim. Tell him that we have a serious problem here," said Tom. A nurse went to go get Jim. Tom continued to try to stop the massive bleeding that was filling up Zack's stomach.

Jim scratched his head as he read the file.

"What? Wait," said Jim out loud.

"Confused?" asked a voice from the doorway. Jim looked up. His fellow CDC agent, Allison Conway, was standing in the doorway.

"Patient file. Symptoms are a little strange," said Jim.

"So I heard you were playing doctor earlier," said Allison.

"Yes I was," said Jim.

"How was it?" asked Allison.

"Fantastic," said Jim. A nurse walked up at that moment.

"Jim, we need you in the OR," said the nurse.

"Why?" asked Jim.

"That boy having his appendix removed has some massive bleeding in his stomach," said a nurse.

"Damnit. OK, I'll be there," said Jim. The nurse walked back to the OR.

"Want to come?" asked Jim, as he stood up.

"No, you deal with your own patients. I got a lot of paper work to catch up on," said Allison. Jim shrugged his shoulders and walked towards the OR.

Carey and Cody were told about the problem developing in the OR. The nurse tried to be reassuring but was worried about Zack herself. Carey felt her heart racing. This was a nightmare. What could be so bad? If only she had brought Zack in sooner.

Jim found Tom frantically trying to stop the bleeding in Zack's stomach.

"What have we got here, Tom?" asked Jim.

"It's bad, Jim. There's some bad bleeding near his lower intestine," said Tom.

"Let me check it out," said Jim. Jim spent about five minutes looking around Zack's lower intestine, trying to find the source of the bleeding. He paused after awhile.

"Think I found your problem. Seems there's a leak in his abdominal wall," said Jim.

"How'd he get that?" asked Tom.

"We'll figure that out later. After you fix it," said Jim. Jim stepped out of the way as Tom and his team started to fix the leak. After about an hour, Zack was closed up and taken to recovery. Tom went to talk to Carey.

Carey stood up as she saw Tom approaching.

"How's Zack? Did you fix what was wrong with him?" asked Carey.

"Yes. There was a leak in his stomach which was causing the bleeding. It took awhile to find it since it was buried beneath his intestines but we fixed it. We're going to keep an eye on Zack for a few days just in case," said Tom.

"Can we see him?" asked Cody.

"Sure. Follow me," said Tom. Tom led Carey and Cody to the recovery room. Zack was asleep with a tube in his mouth. Carey ran a hand down his cheek.

"I'm right here, honey," said Carey, pulling up a chair. Jim was watching from the doorway. Allison came up behind him.

"I know that look. What are you thinking?" asked Allison.

"I think I know how that leak was created in his stomach," said Jim.

"How?" asked Allison. Jim sighed.

"I think it was caused by a burn of some kind. Which means that boy is in a lot of trouble," said Jim.

"I think we have a case," said Allison.

"And we have to work fast. The boy's life depends on it," said Jim.

I hope I'm making it sound real and professional. Please review. I really appreciate it when people review.


	3. Chapter 3 Tests and Surgery

I hope the explanation for the burn is plausible. I'm looking to really have Zack go downhill. This chapter is leading up to a really bad event

Chapter 3 Tests and Surgery

"So what do you think could cause a burn to develop in the boy's stomach?" asked Allison. Jim sighed as he watched Carey and Cody stroke Zack's arms.

"He probably ingested something," said Jim.

"But a chemical of some kind who had done major damage to his intestinal tract. Not to mention it would have eaten away into his bladder," said Allison.

"I know. Unless we're looking at slow acting chemical," said Jim. "Maybe he drank some bad water?"

"What?" asked Allison.

"Remember last year when we helped that nine-year-old with the stomach pains. Turned out he'd ingested some contaminated water near his house. Maybe Zack drank some bad water and it's slowly killing his insides," said Jim.

"We need to run some tests," said Allison. Zack woke up suddenly. He tried to smile but gagged on his air tube. Cody stayed with his brother as Carey went to get a nurse. Cody hugged Zack and told him everything would be OK.

"I think we should have Tom talk to Carey about the possibility of a major exploratory operation. We need to take a tour of Zack's stomach cavity and bladder," said Jim. Allison nodded.

"I want to talk to his brother. Maybe he can help us figure out what happened," said Jim. Carey arrived with a nurse at that Cody stepped back as the nurse took the tube out of Zack's mouth. Zack gagged and coughed. After the nurse was done, Carey and Cody went over to Zack.

"How do you feel, honey?" asked Carey.

"Tired and hungry. Why does my stomach hurt so much? I thought the surgery only required a small cut in my stomach," said Zack.

"There were complications. You just had a major operation," said Cody.

"What? What kind of an operation?" asked Zack.

"They had to open you up all the way. You started bleeding a lot. But it's all fixed now," said Carey. Zack groaned. Jim poked his head in.

"Carey, Cody, can I see you for a minute?" asked Jim.

"We'll be right back, baby," said Carey, kissing Zack on the cheek. Zack nodded. Carey and Cody followed Jim out into the hallway. Jim told them what he thought was wrong with Zack. Carey put a hand over her mouth. Cody bit his lip.

"That makes sense. Zack was skateboarding upstairs on a floor undergoing renovation. There was a water fountain there and he took a drink," said Cody.

"What? What do you mean a floor being renovated? Where do you live, the Tipton Hotel?" asked Jim.

"Actually yes we do," said Carey. Jim nodded.

"Interesting. Well if that's the case, then the hotel water supply may be contaminated," said Jim.

"That floor has a separate water system. Don't ask me why but it does.," said Cody.

"How do you know that?" asked Carey.

"Arwin told me," said Cody.

"So what can be done to help Zack?" asked Carey.

"He'll probably be in and out of surgery for the next few months. Hopefully this way we can stop the chemicals, if that's what it is, from causing significant damage," said Jim. Carey jumped as her cell phone rang.

"One sec," said Carey. She answered and walked away to have more privacy. Cody turned his attention to Jim.

"So how are you going to see if there are chemicals in Zack's stomach?" asked Cody.

"Test his stomach content. Take a stool and urine sample. Maybe take a look down his throat with a fiber obtic camera," said Jim.

"Is there anything I can do to help you?" asked Cody.

"Yeah. Be there for your brother and comfort him," said Jim.

"I know that. I mean can I help you examine Zack," said Cody. Jim snickered.

"You don't have the credentials, Cody," said Jim. Cody narrowed his eyes.

"Zack's my twin. If there's something wrong inside of him, I'll know about it," said Cody. Jim sighed. It wouldn't hurt if Cody lent a hand with the simple stuff.

"OK, you can help a little," said Jim. Carey walked back up.

"Cody, Moseby needs me. The singer for tonight cancelled. I need to run. But I hate to leave Zack," said Carey.

"I'll take care of him, Mom," said Cody. Carey smiled.

"OK. He seems to be OK so it shouldn't be a problem. Besides the CDC are here," said Carey. Jim nodded.

"OK. Let me say goodbye to him," said Carey. She walked back into Zack's room. Zack gave her a weak smile

"Zack, honey, I have to go sing. But I'll be right back. Moseby says the Tipton is going to help us pay for your medical expenses," said Carey.

"Cool," said Zack, weakly.

"I love you very much and I'll be back as soon as I can. Cody will be here to take care of you," said Carey. Zack nodded. Carey kissed him on the mouth and then left. She said goodbye to Cody and after Jim told her about the tests and Carey agreed to them, she left for work. Jim went and got Allison to help him out. Cody went to see Zack.

"Hey, Zack. They're going to run some tests on you now," said Cody.

"OK," said Zack.

"How does your stomach feel?" asked Cody.

"It feels a little numb. But there's no pain," said Zack.

"You need anything? Water? Food?" asked Cody. Zack shook his head.

"I'm fine. I'll eat when the tests are done," said Zack. Jim and Allison walked in. Jim holding two containers.

"OK, Zack. This won't take long. First, do you think you can walk? I doubt it but I thought I'd ask," said Jim.

"I think I can," said Zack. He managed to sit up and dangle his legs off the bed. Cody helped him stand. Zack swayed a little but managed to take a few steps.

"I'll be alright," said Zack.

"We need a urine sample and a stool sample," said Allison, handing Cody the containers.

"I have to help him do this?" asked Cody, a look of disgust on his face.

"Just take the containers to the bathroom over there and then help your brother walk over," said Jim. Cody went and put the containers in an easy to reach place and then went to help Zack. He held onto Zack's sides, careful not to touch the wound on his stomach. Zack didn't really need help but Cody wasn't taking any chances.

"Take all the time you need, Zack," said Jim. Zack nodded and closed the door. He came back out seven minutes later.

"That was kind of gross," said Zack.

"Cody, can you go get those?" asked Jim. Cody groaned but knew he had to. He came back out holding the smaller container.

"EWWWW. Zack pee," said Cody, handing the container to Jim.

"Thank you," said Jim. Cody went to get the other container. He gagged as he walked out of the bathroom.

"Never say I don't do things for you, Zack," said Cody, handing the container to Jim. Jim gave the containers to Allison to take to the lab.

"Is that it?" asked Zack.

"One last thing," said Jim. "Follow me." Cody held Zack's waist as his brother followed Jim. Jim took them to a small room. He helped Zack onto the table in the room. Two nurses were getting a machine ready.

"I'm going to make you sleepy, Zack. These nurses are going to suck out some of your stomach content with a hose," said Jim. Zack nodded. Jim gave Zack a shot to the arm. Cody went and comforted Zack as he became tired. A nurse stuck a plastic support between Zack's lips. The other nurse then slowly started to feed a hose down an opening in the middle of the support. A camera let them see when they reached Zack's stomach. They started sucking out his stomach content. Zack drooled a lot through the procedure. Cody was grossed out but stayed by his brother, holding his hand. When the procedure was over, Jim took the container full of Zack's stomach content to the lab. The hose was removed from Zack and the plastic support was taken from between his lips. It took Zack a few minutes to snap out of his sleepy state. Cody really had to help him get back to his room. When Zack was back in bed, he was given a strong painkiller and a relaxant. A nurse brought in dinner and told Cody he would have to feed Zack since Zack was too weak. Zack ate a good amount of food before he fell asleep. Cody put the food aside. He watched Zack sleep for awhile. Cody yawned. He laid his head down on the bed and fell asleep.

Cody awoke to find Carey standing over him.

"Hi, honey. How'd the tests go?" asked Carey.

"Good. Haven't heard from the CDC people yet though," said Cody. Jim walked in at that moment.

"We need to operate. There is some sort of chemical in his body. All three samples we took from Zack traces of a chemical used to decompose toxic waste," said Jim.

"Zack swallowed toxic waste?" asked Cody.

"He might have. He needs surgery right away," said Jim. Zack woke up.

"Mom? What's going on?" asked Zack.

"Zack, the doctors need to operate again. This is the only way to make you better," said Carey. Zack groaned. Nurses arrived with a gurney. They helped Zack onto it. Carey and Cody quickly kissed Zack goodbye and then Zack was rushed to surgery.

Zack was moved carefully onto the operating table. The drugs given to him soon had him in a deep sleep. A tube was put down his throat and his lips were wrapped around a piece of gauze to keep the tube in place. Tom cut Zack open and then began searching for any damage in Zack's stomach. Then blood started gushing out of Zack. His intestines were drowned and blood started to leak into his bladder. Zack was drowning in his own blood.

I hope that seems somewhat realistic. Keep in mind it's such a story. Please review.


	4. Chapter 4 Caring for Zack

Here's the next chapter. Enjoy

Chapter 5 Caring for Zack

Tom and his team raced to get the blood out of Zack's stomach. He had a huge leak in his lower intestine. Luckily Tom had about four guys working with him. Two held up Zack's intestines while the other two sucked the blood out. It took an hour to clean out the stomach and give Zack some donor blood. After that Tom went looking for the leak. It was in the same place as last time. The old leak had reopened and grown. Tom refixed it and then searched for any other damage. There was no sign of any damage. Tom was stumped. Zack's stomach content had traces of a chemical. The only explanation was that it had maybe soaked into his organs. Zack's best hope for survival was Jim and Allison. Zack was closed up and the tube was taken from his mouth. Zack suddenly coughed and opened his eyes.

"This kid's a tough one," said Tom. Zack moaned. His lips quivered as he looked around.

"I want my Mom," said Zack.

"You'll see her soon, Zack," said Tom. Nurses helped Zack onto a gurney and took him back to his room.

Zack didn't look good. Although he was awake, he was weak and his stomach looked awful. The stitches had closed the wound but there was some blood and stomach juice leaking out. Carey knelt down and kissed Zack all over his face. Zack cried softly as Carey talked to him quietly. Cody walked over as Carey went to talk to Hodges. Cody kissed Zack on the forehead.

"It's OK, Zack. Everything will be fine," said Cody. Zack looked at his brother with tear filled eyes.

"What's wrong with me, Cody?" asked Zack weakly. Bloody spit was in the corners of his mouth. Cody used a napkin to wipe Zack's mouth off.

"Remember when you were skateboarding upstairs and you drank from that water fountain?" asked Cody.

"Yeah," said Zack.

"There was something in the water that's making you sick," said Cody.

"Oh, man. That stinks," said Zack.

"Do you need anything?" asked Cody. Zack shook his head.

"I'm tired. I'll probably fall asleep," said Zack. Cody nodded.

"I'll go then so you can sleep," said Cody, standing up.

"No. Please, Cody. Don't go. I don't want to be alone," said Zack. Cody sat back down.

"OK. I'll stay," said Cody.

"Thanks," said Zack. He looked down at his stomach.

"Man, I am messed up," said Zack. He shivered.

"I'm cold. Can you pull the sheets over me?" asked Zack.

"Let me ask a nurse," said Cody. He stood up and went to go find a nurse. There was one right outside the door.

"My brother says he's cold. Is it OK if I pull the covers over him?" asked Cody.

"Sure. I just need to bandage him first," said the nurse. She went to fetch some bandages. Cody walked back into Zack's room and sat down.

"They're going to bandage you and then I can tuck you in," said Cody. Zack nodded. The nurse arrived with the bandage. Cody helped Zack sit up. Zack whimpered in pain. The nurse wrapped the bandage around Zack's stomach. When she was done, Cody helped Zack lie back down. He then pulled the covers over Zack.

"There you go," said Cody. Zack closed his eyes.

"You want me to stay?" asked Cody.

"Yeah. At least until I'm asleep," said Zack.

"OK," said Cody. He held Zack's hand as Zack went to sleep. Cody laid his head down next to his brothers. He felt so helpless. He wish he could make Zack better. But he was powerless to help. All he could do was make Zack as comfortable as possible.

Cody woke up at around two in the morning. Zack was still fast asleep. Cody sighed and watched his brother sleep. Cody could feel Zack's breath on his face since he was sitting so close. There was a faint smell of blood on Zack's breath. Cody couldn't take it. He had to get out. He stood up. He kissed Zack on the cheek and promised that he'd come back later. Carey was sitting out in the hall.

"Hey, sweetie. What are you doing up?" asked Carey.

"I had to get out of there. Besides Zack needs some sleep," said Cody, sitting down.

"You are being so good with him," said Carey. Cody sat down next to his mother.

"He's getting weaker," said Cody.

"We need to make him eat more," said Carey.

"I've tried. He starts whining and won't open his mouth," said Cody.

"Jim told me that you may need to force his mouth open. It's mean but it's for the best," said Carey. Cody nodded and yawned. He leaned his head on Carey's shoulder. He was asleep in seconds.

Cody awoke to find Carey gone. It must have been morning because there were a bunch of people walking past him. Cody went back to Zack's room. Carey was sitting next to Zack, rubbing his head and whispering to him. Zack just nodded. Cody could see tears falling down his face. Carey kissed Zack on the cheek and then stood up.

"I'll be back as soon as I can. Cody will be here to take care of you," said Carey.

"OK, Mom," said Zack. Carey walked over to Cody.

"I've got to go rehearse. We need to have money. The hotel can't pay for all of Zack's hospital bills. Make sure he eats. And make sure you stay with him if there are anymore tests," said Carey.

"I'll take care of him," said Cody.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. Jim wants to examine you just in case you're sick as well. He doesn't think so but he wants to play it safe," said Carey.

"That's fine," said Cody. Carey kissed Cody goodbye and then walked off. Cody walked over to his brother and sat down.

"Hey, Zack. How you feeling this morning?" asked Cody.

"A little better," said Zack.

"If you need anything just let me know," said Cody.

"Thanks for taking care of me, Cody. It means a lot," said Zack.

"Hey, I want you to get better," said Cody. Zack smiled.

"Now you have to eat this morning. And not just a few bites. You need to get some food in your stomach," said Cody. Zack groaned.

The food arrived thirty minutes later. The nurse left Cody to feed his brother after checking Zack's bandages and giving him some medicine. Zack ate willingly at first. But he soon refused to eat anymore.

"Zack, you need to eat. Come on. Just finish this oatmeal," said Cody. Zack shook his head. Remembering what Carey had told him, Cody reached forward and forced Zack's mouth open. It wasn't hard since Zack was so weak. Zack was forced to finish his breakfast and afterwards he fell asleep. Cody smiled, knowing that he had helped his brother. He had no idea that soon he would find himself in his brother's condition.

Sort of a cliffhanger. Next chapter may get gross. Please review. I'd like it very much.


	5. Chapter 5 Cody's Operation

This one didn't turn out as gross as I thought it would. Next chapter will. Fair warning, Zack is in for hell these next few chapters. Thanks for all the reviews. Keep it up.

Chapter 5 Cody's Operation

Jim rubbed his eyes as he looked back over Zack's tests results. He had never seen such a slow acting chemical. He knew it was inside Zack. He knew that Zack would soon be facing his biggest surgery yet when his organs started failing. There was just no way tell. And Jim couldn't figure out what kind of toxin it was. Jim sighed. It was time to examine Cody. Jim stood up and went to go find Cody.

Cody looked up when Jim walked into the room. Zack was still asleep.

"Hey. How's he doing?" asked Jim.

"Better. I made him eat so hopefully that helps," said Cody. Jim pulled back Zack's sheets. Zack's surgical wound was healing nicely. It was no longer leaking and it didn't look infected. Jim pulled the covers back over Zack.

"Cody, I'd like to examine you to make sure that you're not sick," said Jim.

"That's fine," said Cody. "Where do you want to do it?"

"There's an empty examining room down the hall. It will only be a few minutes," said Jim. Cody stood up and followed Jim down to the examining room. Jim closed the door so that a nurse or doctor wouldn't try to get him to help them. Jim wanted to focus only on the Martin boys. Cody took his shirt off while Jim got ready.

"You really think I could be sick too?" asked Cody.

"Only one way to find out," said Jim. The examination was thorough. Cody didn't say much as he was worried about Zack. After the examination was over, Cody was led to a different room where a nurse gave him an ultrasound so they could see inside his stomach. Jim bit his lip as he looked at the monitor. Cody had some bad bleeding in his stomach. Jim sighed.

"You might be sick. Looks like there's some bleeding in your stomach," said Jim.

"Guess I'm going into surgery then, huh?" asked Cody.

"I'm afraid so," said Jim. While Cody got ready, Jim went to go find Allison. If both boys were sick, then there was a major contamination at the Tipton.

Cody called the Tipton and told Moseby that he was going into surgery and that his mother needed to know. Moseby assured Cody that Carey would get the night off so that she could be with Zack. Cody went to go say goodbye to Zack. Zack smiled when Cody walked into the room.

"Where were you?" asked Zack.

"Getting checked out. Turns out I may be sick too. I'm going into surgery in a few minutes," said Cody.

"How'd you get sick?" asked Zack.

"Don't know," said Cody.

"How long's the surgery going to take? I don't want to be in this room for hours all by myself" said Zack, getting worried that he'd be alone for a long time.

"Don't worry. Mom will be here soon," said Cody.

"I thought she's singing tonight," said Zack.

"Moseby gave her the night off. He might even give her more nights off if it turns out I'm sick," said Cody. A nurse walked into the room.

"It's time, Cody," said the nurse. Cody leaned down and gave his brother a hug.

"Good luck," said Zack.

"I'll see you soon," said Cody. He hated to leave Zack. He knew Zack was scared. He had already had two major operations and he would probably be having another one soon. But Cody had to take care of himself.

"Don't forget his tube," said the nurse. Zack had a tube that helped him clear his throat of anything that came up. If there was someone in the room, then he could take it out until he needed it. But if he was alone, he had to keep it in his mouth since he couldn't put it in himself. Cody picked the tube up.

"Open up," said Cody. Zack opened his mouth so Cody could put the tube in. Zack gagged as Cody made sure it was completely in.

"There you go," said Cody. He kissed Zack on the forehead and then went with the nurse.

Cody was nervous as he walked into the operating room. Jack was talking to Allison in a corner. She was tapping her foot and giving him a jokingly evil look.

"For the last time, no. It's my turn to go into the field," said Allison. Cody watched the two converse as he was helped onto the operating table.

"This is my case," said Jack.

"So you stay here and watch the operation," said Allison.

"Please," said Jack. Allison sighed.

"Fine," said Allison, going to get changed. Jack gave Cody a smile and then left. Cody sighed as his hospital gown was pulled down to his waist. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. He winced as a needle was put in his arm.

"You'll be just fine, Cody. I've done this a hundred times," said Tom. Cody nodded as a gas mask was held over his face.

"Count backwards from ten," said Tom. Cody made it to eight. His mouth was pried open and a tube was put down his throat. Tape was put over his eyes and a sheet was draped over him. A section in the middle exposed his stomach. Tom began cutting through the fat and tissue to access the stomach cavity. Allison sighed as she watched. This was going to be a long night.

Zack moaned as more stuff came up from his stomach. The nurses were worried. Zack whimpered in pain as a nurse examined his stomach.

"Shoot. Get a surgeon down here. Zack has a problem," said the nurse.

Please review. I can't stress that enough.


	6. Chapter 6 A Dsicovery

This chapter is short due to the fact that the next chapter is a turning point in the story. I've noticed a lot of people have liked Cody taking care of Zack so a lot of that to come soon.

Chapter 6 A Discovery

Zack was rushed to the OR. Dr. Jack Morris, one of the best surgeons at the hospital, was washing up. His team prepped Zack as Jack got ready.

"You guys almost ready?" asked Jack, walking into the operating room.

"Just about," said Dr. Frank Roberts. Zack was already asleep with a tube in his mouth. Jack put a hand on Zack's stomach.

"There is definitely some fluid moving around in there. We're going to need more then one hose for this one," said Jack. Jack and Frank started to cut Zack's stomach open. Blood and stomach fluid poured from the wound.

"Jesus," said Jack. He and his team went to work, desperately trying to stop the flood that was slowly killing Zack.

Cody was doing much better then his brother. The bleeding had been a false alarm. Just some loose fluid moving around inside of him. Cody was closed up after only an hour in surgery. He woke up as he was being wheeled to recovery.

"You're all done, Cody. There was nothing wrong with you. False alarm," said a nurse.

"I want to see my brother," said Cody.

"Your brother went back into surgery. Seems he's taken a turn for the worse," said the nurse.

"What?" asked Cody.

"Zack's in good hands. We called in the best surgical team in the hospital." Said the nurse. Cody sighed as they reached the recovery room. He felt so bad for his brother. He was in so much pain and the doctors didn't know really how to help him.

In the operating room, Zack's bleeding had been brought under control. The surgery was now four hours in. Allison kept a careful eye on everything. As Jack and his team were looking for problems in Zack's lower intestines, something caught Allison's eye.

"Wait. What was that?" asked Allison. Jack moved part of Zack's intestines aside.

"Oh my God. It's urine," said Jack. "Shit his bladder is leaking into his stomach." Allison backed away as the team got to work. She knew what this meant. Zack didn't have chemicals in him. Zack's organs weren't dying. Zack was infected with one of the rarest and most deadly viruses known to man.

The virus I'm going to make up in the next chapter does not exist. It is my own sick creation. Be prepared for a very weak Zack, Cody trying to be strong for him, and some heartbreaking news. Please review!


	7. Chapter 7 Zack's Condition

The virus I'm going to make up in the next chapter does not exist. It is my own sick creation. Be prepared for a very weak Zack, Cody trying to be strong for him, and some heartbreaking news. Please review!

Chapter 7 Zack's Condition

After three more hours in surgery, Zack was closed up and taken to PICU, the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Nurses spent ten minutes making sure he was stable. They cleaned the dried blood off his stomach and connected all kinds of wires to him. Carey was waiting with Cody, who was still very weak from his operation. Maddie was with her as well. Jack walked into the room.

"Mrs. Martin. Hi, I'm Dr. Jack Morris. I was Zack's surgeon," said Jack, shaking Carey's hand.

"How is he?" asked Carey.

"Nurses are making sure he's stable right away. CDC will be in to talk to you in a minute. I just came to let you know that surgery went well. There was some urine leaking into Zack's stomach as well as massive amounts of fluid. We cleaned his stomach out and fixed a hole in his bladder." Maddie's face went pale. She had never been aware that Zack had been this sick. Allison walked in at that moment. Jack left so Allison could be alone with Carey and Maddie.

"Mrs. Martin, I think I know what's wrong with your son," said Allison.

"What?" asked Carey. Cody was awake now and sat up in bed.

"I believe Zack may be infected with rare and deadly virus," said Allison. Carey put a hand on her mouth. Maddie's mouth dropped open. Cody let out choked cry.

"What kind of a virus?" asked Carey.

"It's extremely rare. Only about 1 of the US population catches it a year. Only children catch it. Most people have never heard of it. It's so rare it doesn't have a name. Some doctors call it Virus X. It causes organ failure. Produces excess amounts of fluid, urine, and waste in the body. It's good that we caught it early. We'll probably be able to save Zack's life. But there is there something you need to be aware of. Zack will never be the same again. The virus will effect his thinking. He'll probably develop learning disabilities. He might be unable to attend a regular school. I won't lie to you, it's going to be rough." Carey felt tears coming on. Maddie went over to comfort her.

"Can we see him?" asked Cody.

"I don't think your strong enough to see him. Don't forget you just had an operation," said Allison. Cody sighed and laid back down.

"I want to see him," said Carey. Allison nodded.

"Maddie, would you stay with Cody?" asked Carey.

"Of course," said Maddie. Allison led Carey to Zack's room.

"Take all the time you need," said Allison. Carey nodded and walked inside. Zack was fast asleep. There were staples running down his stomach. His breathing was normal thanks to the air tube in his mouth. His lips were crudely wrapped around a plastic support that was keeping Zack from swallowing his air tube. Carey sat down next to Zack's bed. She ran a hand down the side of his cheek.

"I'm right here, baby. I'm not going anywhere," said Carey. She took Zack's hand in her other hand and watched him sleep.

Cody wanted to see his brother so bad. It killed him that he was stuck in bed.

"How are you feeling, Cody?" asked Maddie.

"I'm fine. I'm just really worried about Zack," said Cody. He felt tears coming.

"No. I have to be strong. I have to be strong for him," said Cody.

"You need to recover from your own operation first. Your mom will take care of him," said Maddie.

"How are we going to be able to afford all these expenses? I'll probably have to quit school when I'm sixteen or so and get a job," said Cody.

"Your mom will never let you do that. I'll go talk to Moseby. Maybe we can work something out," said Maddie.

"The Tipton will pay for all of Zack's medical expenses?" asked Cody.

"They'll make it possible for your Mom to pay them. And I'm sure your friends at the CDC will help you out too," said Maddie. Cody sighed.

"The next few years are going to be hard for us," said Cody.

"Maybe through some miracle Zack will defy the odds and get better," said Maddie.

"Maybe," said Cody. He yawned.

"I want to see him," said Cody, his eyes starting to close. Cody passed out from exhaustion. Maddie took his hand in hers and stayed by his side.

Jack met with Allison in her office.

"I'm taking it that you're going to want me to become Zack's main surgeon," said Jack. Allison leaned back in her chair.

"That's Jim's call. Zack's his patient," said Allison.

"Where is he?" asked Jack.

"On his way back to the Tipton. He confirmed my fears. The Tipton has a contamination of the virus," said Allison. Jack rubbed his eyes.

"I'll call Peter," said Jack. Allison's eyes widened.

"Peter Thomas, the neurosurgeon?" asked Allison.

"The same. Did you forget that a s,art thing to do is to have someone check Zack's brain for infection? The brain is one of the main organs effected by the virus," said Jack. Allison let out a deep, frustrated sigh.

"The last thing that poor kid needs right now is brain surgery," said Allison. Jack shrugged his shoulders.

"He'll be in and out of the operating room for the next year or so," said Jack.

"Oh God, don't remind me," said Allison. She rubbed her temple.

"Call peter and let him know what's up. It's up to the mother whether we operate now or wait awhile until Zack is stronger," said Allison. Jack nodded and left. Allison sighed and walked to Zack's room. She peered in through the window. Carey was watching Zack sleep and running her hand up and down his cheek. Allison couldn't bare to break such bad news to Carey at the moment. While the question of whether Zack's brain was effected yet was very important. Allison didn't want to trouble Carey with that news. Carey deserved some time alone with her son before the real struggle began.

Next chapter will be loaded with brotherly since you all like that so much. Please review. It makes me feel good.


	8. Chapter 8 Turn for the Worse

Chapter 8 Turn for the Worse

Cody winced as Tom examined his stomach. It was two days since Cody's surgery. Cody still hadn't seen Zack. Zack had woken up the day before and was breathing on his own. Cody knew that Zack had been undergoing a lot of tests. He hated that he couldn't be with him. Tom finished his examination.

"You're healing nicely. Does it still hurt?" asked Tom.

"A little when you touch it," said Cody.

"That's expected," said Tom.

"Can I see my brother today?" asked Cole. Tom sighed.

"Yeah. He doesn't have any tests until this afternoon," said Tom. Cody was actually able to walk down to Zack's room. Zack was asleep as Cody sat down next to his bed. Cody leaned over and kissed Zack on the forehead. Zack woke up and smiled.

"Hey," said Zack.

"How are you?" asked Cody.

"I'm sick of all the tests," said Zack.

"I know. But they'll help the doctors make you all better," said Cody.

"Will you stay with me this afternoon during the tests?" asked Zack.

"Of course," said Cody. Zack smiled and closed his eyes.

"That's right. Get some rest. You need it," said Cody. He kissed Zack on the cheek and tucked him in.

"Don't leave," said Zack.

"I'm not going to. I'll be right here," said Cody, holding Zack's hand. Zack fell asleep within minutes. Cody sighed and watched his brother sleep. He wish he could take away Zack's pain. He really did. But there was nothing he could do except take care of Zack and be there when he needed him.

The tests in the afternoon weren't hard at all. Zack had his head x-rayed and then had an ultrasound. Cody found out that Zack would be having brain surgery soon to make sure his brain wasn't being damaged. This scared Cody but he knew it was for the best. Zack would be in serious trouble if he started to have brain problems. After the tests, Cody made Zack eat some dinner. Zack was actually hungry and didn't fuss at all. Cody wiped Zack's mouth off at the end of the meal and then tucked Zack in for the night. Cody was exhausted as well.

"I'll see you tomorrow," said Cody. He kissed Zack good night and then left. Cody went to his own room and passed out.

Cody was woken up at two in the morning by a nurse.

"What is it?" asked Cody.

"It's your brother. He just went into the OR for emergency surgery," said the nurse.

"What? Why?" asked Cody.

"He has a massive intestinal infection. He needs to have part of his lower intestine removed," said the nurse.

"Oh my God. Thank you for telling me," said Cody.

"I know how close you two are," said the nurse. Cody could see worry in the nurses face.

"What are you not telling me?" asked Cody.

"Cody, your brother is not in good condition. This is going to be hard for you to hear. But there's a chance he might not make it through this surgery."

Cliffhanger. Sorry for the short chapter. Next chapter has Cody making a brave choice to try to save his brother. Please review.


	9. Chapter 9 Twin Contamination

Changing my plans. A horrifying discovery is made in this chapter and Zack faces his toughest surgery yet.

Chapter 9 Twin Contamination

Cody couldn't get back to sleep. He was too worried about Zack. Carey arrived at around two-thirty. She stayed with Cody in his room as they waited for any word on Zack. Cody fell back asleep at around four in the morning. They still hadn't heard a thing from the operating room. Carey was starting to lose hope. How much more of this could Zack take? Carey fell asleep at around six. She was too exhausted to stay awake and keep worrying. At nine a nurse came in. Carey woke up the minute she heard the door open.

"How's my son?" asked Carey.

"His condition is critical right now. He's out of surgery. We had to take him to intensive care. Zack lost about a foot and a half of his intestine," said the nurse.

"Is he going to make it?" asked Carey.

"At this point we can only hope. We lost him once during surgery. He has a lot of drugs in his body right now from us trying to save him," said the nurse. Cody woke up.

"Is Zack OK?" asked Cody.

"For now. You can go see him in a few minutes," said the nurse. She left to go attend to other things.

"So how's Zack?" asked Cody.

"From what I hear not good. He's barely holding on," said Carey.

"Did they fix what was wrong with him?" asked Cody.

"Yeah but he's weak," said Carey.

Four minutes later Carey and Cody went to see Zack. He looked horrible. His stomach was leaking from the wound and lips were once again crudely wrapped a plastic support. More so then usual since he had two tubes in his mouth. Carey and Cody sat silently next to Zack's bed for a few minutes. A doctor walked into the room.

"Mrs. Martin?" asked the doctor.

"Yes," said Carey.

"I'm Dr. Peter Thomas. I'm a neurosurgeon," said the doctor. Cody shuddered. They were going to cut Zack's head open.

"Zack's latest MRI's show that the virus is damaging the upper cranial regions of his brain. This effects Zack's thinking. I can operate and remove the infected part. But it would need to happen now. The virus will grow and grow until it devours Zack's brain. I can't imagine how difficult this is for you to hear. But the best thing for Zack is surgery right now. He'll develop learning problems no doubt from this. And he'll need to be taken care of for the rest of his life. But if he doesn't have the surgery, he's dead in a week. I'm sorry. There's no other option." Carey broke down. She went over to Zack and buried her face in his hair.

"Oh, Zack. Oh, my poor baby," said Carey. Peter sighed.

"Do it. I'm not going to watch him die," said Carey. Peter nodded. He went to go get ready. Carey and Cody kissed Zack goodbye and then moved aside so nurses could get him ready. Suddenly Jim came bursting into the room with a stethoscope. He looked worried.

"Cody, take your shirt off. Now," said Jim. Cody did as he was told. Jim listened to his heart.

"Jesus. Oh, God, I can't believe I missed this," said Jim.

"What?" asked Cody.

"The virus can sometimes take a long time to be noticeable. Damnit, I should have kept my eye on you. You have a hole in your heart. I can hear the irregular heart beat. Shit, I was so stupid," said Jim. Zack was wheeled out of the room.

"Can you fix it?" asked Cody.

"Yeah, it can be fixed," said Jim. Carey stayed with Cody as Jim went to get the best cardiac surgeon in the hospital. Diane Morris, wife of Jack Morris. She met with Carey and Cody in the prep room. Jim and Allison were with her.

"Hi. You must be Carey," said Diane.

"Yeah," said Carey, shaking Diane's hand.

"Diane Morris. And you must be Cody," said Diane. Cody nodded. He was starting to get very nervous.

"Don't be nervous. Diane could fix a heart in her sleep," said Jim.

"Flattery is much appreciated. Don't be scared. I've done this millions of times," said Diane. Cody nodded.

"I trust you," said Cody. Diane smiled and turned towards Jim and Allison.

"One of you going to observe?" asked Allison.

"Yeah. You want the heart operation or the brain operation?" asked Jim.

"I'll take this one. Zack's your main patient," said Allison. Jim nodded and went to go observe Zack's operation. Cody shared a tearful goodbye with Carey. He was scared now. Scared for himself and scared for Zack. Cody was wheeled into the operating room after a nurse gave him some drugs to calm him down. Cody was half asleep when he was placed on the operating table.

"Don't worry, Cody. We'll take good care of you," said Diane, as a mask was held over Cody's face. Cody was asleep in seconds. He was soon fully under and stable. Diane didn't waste time. She started to open Cody's chest up to expose the heart.

"If you see anything suspicious don't make a move until I tell you to," said Allison.

"Yes, ma'am," said Diane, as she and her partner exposed Cody's heart. Sure enough there was a hole. Allison peeked into Cody's chest cavity. His heart looked fine, save for the hole. There was no other sign of the virus.

"When you fix the hole, take a look at his lungs. I might bring Jack in to open up his abdomen and look around in there," said Allison.

"Let's fix the hole first," said Diane. Allison nodded and let Diane get back to work.

Zack's brain operation was going slowly but smoothly. Peter was taking his time in cutting Zack's head open and exposing the infected part of his brain.

"Looks like we operated in time. The rest of his brain looks fine," said Peter. Jim, who leaning against a wall, nodded.

"How long to remove the infection?" asked Jim.

"I'm going to play it safe and take my time. I'd say about four hours," said Peter.

"Four hours?" asked Jim.

"Yeah. The infection isn't large but it is deep. I need to be careful," said Peter. Jim sighed.

"Fine," said Jim. He walked over as Peter started cutting the infected part of Zack's brain out. Jim sighed as he looked down at Zack through the plastic that had been placed over him. Zack looked helpless. Jim sighed. The poor kids life was going to change.

As always, reviews are much appreciated.


	10. Chapter 10 Death

This chapter features a character death. Not Zack and Cody. But someone who's somewhat of a regular on the show. Sorry about the shortness of the chapter.

Chapter 10 Death

Allison decided not to call in Jack after Cody's surgery ended. Cody was weak and barely stable. Allison went to go check on Zach while Cody was taken to Intensive Care. Cody would be in critical condition for the next few days. Although the surgery had gone smoothly, it had taken three hours. Cody had almost flatlined towards the end. He was not doing well. Carey stayed with Cody as she waited for word on Zack. Zack was doing well but the operation was taking longer then expected.

Jim sighed as Peter continued to work.

"It's almost all gone. I'll check the rest of his head and face for traces of the virus," said Peter.

"Good," said Jim.

"How's his vitals?" asked Peter.

"Good. He's doing very well," said a nurse.

"Send someone out to go talk to the mother," said Peter.

"I'll go," said a nurse. The nurse left as Peter finished cutting the infected part of Zack's brain out.

"It's out. Now all we have to do is close him up," said Peter. Jim nodded. He left to go to meet up with Allison.

Carey rubbed Cody's arms as she continued to watch him sleep. Allison walked in.

"Mrs. Martin?" asked Allison.

"Yes," said Carey.

"I just ran some tests on Cody's blood. He's not as bad as Zack is. This means that his brain won't be effected and he'll probably recover. Now there are a few organs of his that will need to be removed. But after that he should be OK," said Allison.

"What organs will need to be removed?" asked Carey.

"As of right now, we know he'll lose his spleen and pancreas," said Allison.

"I don't get it. Why is the virus hurting Zack more then Cody?" asked Carey.

"That's how it works. Some people are effected differently then others," said Allison. "For some people it's lethal."

"And it only effects kids, right?" asked Carey.

"Adults have a natural immunity to it. They usually develop the immunity at around eighteen," said Allison.

"So when they turn eighteen they'll be OK?" asked Carey.

"But whatever the virus did to them won't go away. We just removed part of Zack's brain. He's going to be effected by that for the rest of his life," said Allison. Carey sighed.

"Don't worry. There's a slim chance that Zack will die at this point," said Allison.

"I'm just worried about what he'll be like for the rest of his life," said Carey.

"He'll still be the same person. He'll just need help in life," said Allison. A nurse walked in.

"Excuse me. Zack's out of surgery," said the nurse. "And your partner is

looking for you. He just got a call from the Tipton."

"I have to go. I'll talk to you later," said Allison. Carey nodded. Allison left and walked to Jim's office. Jim was sitting on the edge of his desk, his face grim.

"Tipton just called. The virus killed someone. Seems that they had a severe reaction to it," said Jim.

"Who was it?" asked Allison.

"Some girl named Max. She was there to see how Zack and Cody were."

Alas, poor Max. Next chapter will be longer. I promise. Please review. It makes me feel good.


	11. Chapter 11 Murphy's Law

If anyone has any questions about the title of the chapter, just PM me and I'll explain. I'm also curious to know who's everyone's favorite non-Suite Life character. Please review.

Chapter 11 Murphy's Law

"How could the virus kill her so quickly?" asked Allison, shocked by the news of Max's death.

"Don't know. She was talking to someone in the lobby and then she just collapsed. Paramedics were working on her for awhile. But eventually her body just gave up," said Jim.

"I've never heard of the virus working so fast before," said Allison.

"That's the problem. We don't really know what we're up against. I have no training in dealing with this. I remember back in med school it was mentioned on occasion but no tips on how to treat it. This thing is still a mystery," said Jim.

"Then we may need to perform an autopsy on that little girl. Find out exactly what killed her," said Allison. Jim nodded.

"I'm going to check on Zack. See what you can find out about an autopsy," said Jim. Allison. Jim left. Allison sighed and started to make some phone calls.

Zack was doing better then expected. He was sleeping soundly in his room with his head bandaged and a tube in his mouth. Carey was sitting in a chair next to him. She was holding Zack's hand and watching him sleep. Jim walked in.

"Hi," said Jim. "From what Peter just told me, Zack should recover from this in no time."

"That's great," said Carey. Jim quickly examined Zack, making sure that for now he was OK.

"Carey, there's something you need to know. It's going to be hard for you to hear," said Jim. He sighed and told Carey about Max and how she had died. Carey out a hand over her mouth.

"Oh my God," said Carey.

"I'm sorry," said Jim.

"This is going to tear the boys apart," said Carey.

"It's best not to tell them this until they've recovered more. Emotional trauma can be almost as bad as physical trauma," said Jim. Carey nodded. Jim left so Carey could be with her son.

Allison sighed as she put the phone down. Max's parents refused to agree to an autopsy. Jim walked into the office.

"That's a negative on the autopsy," said Allison. Jim sighed in frustration.

"Can't blame them. Their daughter just died," said Jim.

"How's Zack?" asked Allison.

"He's doing well. I'm just about to go check on Cody. I just came back to find out about the autopsy," said Jim. Tom walked in at that moment.

"Zack's latest ultrasound pictures just came back. The machine had been on the fritz so there was delay in processing. It's not good," said Tom. Jim looked it over.

"Oh no," said Jim.

"What?" asked Allison.

"It's his kidneys. They're failing," said Jim. Allison sighed.

"How the hell did I miss that when I examined him?" asked Jim.

"We can fix this right away though. Just get a donor from the Cody," said Allison.

"I just came back from Cody's room. He's not doing well. Another surgery would kill him right now," said Tom.

"Zack dies without a donor," said Jim.

"Have Carey donate a kidney," said Allison.

"Zack and Cody both have extremely rare blood types. There's a one in a million chance that Zack would except another kidney other then one from Cody," said Jim.

"But then that gives only two options," said Allison.

"Cody donates a kidney and dies. Or Zack doesn't get a kidney and dies," said Jim.

"That's something Carey has to decide," said Allison. Jim shook his head.

"She has to decide which one of her sons gets to live and which one dies," said Jim.

Hope that doesn't sound too far fetched. Do I dare kill off Zack or Cody? Get ready for brotherly love!


	12. Chapter 12 Zack or Cody?

Getting down to the end. Can you feel the excitement? I love this chapter. I think it's the best one yet. And thank you **In NYC **for reminding about the hospital database. I meant to put that in last chapter. Please review. It makes me feel good.

Chapter 12 Zack or Cody?

"I think we're jumping the gun here," said Allison.

"How so?" asked Jim.

"Let's check the database to see if we can find any matching kidneys," said Allison.

"I doubt there is one but go ahead and check," said Tom. Allison typed Zack and Cody's blood type into the computer.

"Let's pray that there is one," said Allison. The three of them waited in silence as the computer searched the database. There were no matches.

"Damnit," said Allison.

"Anyone have any bright ideas?" asked Jim.

"The database is our last hope. We can keep our eye open for a match. But if we're going to save Zack we have to act fast," said Tom. Jim closed his eyes and shook his head.

"There's a slim chance Cody will survive. We've got to think positive," said Carey. Jim nodded.

"I'll go talk to Carey," said Jim.

"I'll go talk to Jack," said Tom.

"I'm going to try to track down a kidney," said Allison. The three doctors went their separate ways. Jim couldn't believe that he was about to ask Carey to choose between her sons. How could she possibly make that choice?

Carey was still with Zack. She was running her hand up and down his cheek. She felt so sorry that Zack had to go through all this. She knew he was a tough kid. But the pain he was in was too much. It was always obvious he was miserable whenever he was awake. She would do anything to take his pain away. Jim walked into the room. Carey looked up at him.

"Any news on Cody?" asked Carey.

"His condition's still critical but at least he's not getting worse," said Jim. Carey nodded.

"Carey, there's something we need to talk about. And it's going to be very hard for you to hear," said Jim. Jim told Carey about the kidney problem and the deal with Zack and Cody. He spoke calmly and softly, trying to dull the pain that Carey was no doubt feeling from hearing this. Tears welled up in Carey's eyes as she realized that she had to sacrifice one of her boys to save the other. How could she possibly choose?

"Carey, I'm so sorry. Allison's trying her best to track down a kidney. But Zack and Cody's blood type is very rare. Even if we found a kidney the chances of him accepting it would be a million to one. The only way we can be sure is to have Cody give him one," said Jim. Carey let the tears flow. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening.

"Why won't Cody survive the transplant?" asked Carey.

"His body is in a severely weakened state. A major operation would be devastating to him. Now there is a slim chance he could pull through. But that's only about a ten percent chance," said Jim. Carey shook her head. She had no choice really. If there wasn't a transplant, then Zack would die. At least Cody had a chance.

"How soon do you have to operate?" asked Carey.

"Right away," said Jim. "I'm sorry." Carey let out a deep breath.

"God help me. Go ahead with the operation. Cody would want me to," said Carey.

"I'll go tell the surgeons," said Jim. Carey nodded. Jim put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a comforting smile. He slowly walked back to his office. The full weight of the situation came crashing down on him. He kicked his small metal trash can across the room.

"Motherfucker," screamed Jim loud enough where everyone in the hall could hear him.

Carey went to see Cody before he was taken into surgery. He was still asleep and already had tons of wires and needles attached to him. The doctors were determined to keep him alive. Carey kissed her son all over his face.

"Cody, baby, if you don't make it, then I'm sorry. But I know this is the choice you would make. I know you love your brother enough where you would do this for him. I love you, sweetheart. I will always love you." Carey sobbed into her son's hair. Jim and Allison were watching from a nearby doorway.

"Let's hope that kid's a fighter," said Allison.

"I hope so. For his sake and for Zack and Carey's sake," said Jim. Carey said a last goodbye to Cody and then backed away. Cody was wheeled into the operating room. His life was in the hands of the surgical team.

Hours passed. Jim and Allison couldn't bear to watch the surgeries. They had gotten too close to the family. Many staff members from the Tipton, including Maddie and Moseby, showed up. Carey contacted the boys' father (what's his name? Kurt I think) and told him what was happening. The hours seemed to drag by. Maddie spent the whole time comforting Carey. After seven hours, Jim walked into the waiting room.

"The surgeries are done," said Jim. Everyone looked at him. Jim let out a deep sigh.

"Cody made it," began Jim. Carey looked like she had just won the lottery. She threw her arms around Maddie. But Jim had a grief stricken look on his face.

"Zack, however, is not in good shape. He accepted the kidney but his vitals crashed at the end of the surgery. The team revived him but couldn't get him stable. Zack's dying and we don't know why. The virus has hit him full force." A single tear fell down Jim's face. Carey was balling her eyes out but making no sound. Jim shook his head.

"I'm very sorry but he'll be dead within the hour."

OK, time for a little contest. In the next chapter Jim finally figures out what's wrong with Zack. That doesn't mean Zack doesn't die. He could be dead when Jim figures it out. Jim figures this out when he notices a symptom effecting a part of Zack's body that he overlooked when it was mentioned to him. If you think you know what it is, PM me. First one to get it can create a character for the sequel. FYI: There's a 50/50 chance Zack could die. Update coming soon.


	13. Chapter 13 Nick of Time

Chapter 13 Nick of Time

Carey checked on Cody. He was in the intensive care unit. His stomach had been bandaged up and some sensors were taped to his chest to monitor his heart rate. He had a tube in his mouth and one in his nose. His lips were swollen and wet with blood and spit. Carey had never soon Cody look so weak and helpless. But despite how he looked, he was stable and doing much better then expected. The same could not be said for Zack. After staying with Cody for a few minutes, Carey went to Zack's room. She couldn't believe this would be her last hour with him. Zack was attached to all kinds of machines. He had been put into a slight coma so that his death would be quick and painless. Zack was practically all ready gone. The only thing keeping him alive was the tube that was down his throat and the medicine that was keeping his heart going. Carey winced at the sight of him. His stomach was covered in dried blood. His lips were once again crudely wrapped around a plastic support. Carey sat down next to Zack's bed. She leaned over and kissed Zack's forehead. She stuck her face in his hair and cried. She knew she had to say goodbye.

"Oh, Zack," said Carey. How could she say goodbye? He was too young to die. He had too much to live for.

"You can fight this, baby. Come on, Zack, you're strong. Fight it," said Carey. Carey pleaded for Zack to fight back against his microscopic killer. But it was obvious that Zack was dying. His body was shutting down. He had been put in a diaper since he kept wetting himself. Drool flowed from between his lips. Since the support was there drool would get stuck in Zack's mouth and he would slightly cough and swallow then start drooling again. Carey could barely stand to look at him. But she wasn't going to just leave him to die alone. If he was going to go, she was going to be there with him. After forty-five minutes of waiting, Carey got hungry. She kissed Zack on the cheek.

"I'm just going to the vending machine a few halls down. I'll be right back, sweetie. Hang in there, bud," said Carey. She left and hurried towards the vending machine. Jim arrived a few seconds later. He was going to make one last shot at saving Zack's life. Jim looked the boy over, trying to find some clue to what was happening to Zack. He leaned in close to Zack's face, trying to find signs of infection. Jim figured that Zack was dying mainly cause the virus was somewhere he had overlooked. Some part of Zack's body that hadn't been properly examined. Jim looked Zack over. He was stumped. There was nothing he could do. He was about to leave when something caught his eye. Some stomach fluid with blood in it moving slowly across Zack's stomach. It couldn't be from the surgical wound. That had stopped leaking after the surgery. Jim followed the trail to it's source. When he found it, he felt like kicking himself. The leak was coming from Zack's navel. Jim could have shouted for joy. Of course. Why hadn't he thought of it before? Zack had complained of pain there. Jim had figured it was an appendix problem. By chance it was. But it also was the virus too. The truth hit Jim hard. He thought back to Zack's first visit.

_"Any pain?" asked Jim._

_"Yeah," said Zack._

_"Where?" asked Jim. _

_"Everywhere," said Zack. Jim nodded._

_"Does it hurt more at a certain spot?" asked Jim._

_"Near my bellybutton," said Zack._ Jim snapped back to reality. He jumped into action and raced into the hall.

"I NEED A SURGEON DOWN HERE NOW!"

Zack was raced to surgery. Jim met with Allison in front of the operating room to explain his findings.

"I know why Zack has been staying sick and how we almost lost him," said Jim.

"OK. Explain," said Allison.

"The virus has been reproducing. Every time we remove an infected part of Zack's body, it reproduces. Meaning we can't use the medicine properly to cure him. Meaning he almost died."

"Yeah. So there was some virus strands we kept missing? Where?"

"His navel."

"Of course. The infection always restarted in his stomach. We couldn't figure out why."

"The answer was right there in front of us. And we would have never thought to check there." Tom poked his head out of the OR.

"His navel was crawling with the virus. Good eyes, Jim. We're going to explore his whole body for signs of the virus. He'll be in here awhile. But he's going to live." Jim and Allison nodded. Tom went back to working on Zack.

"That was too close," said Jim, thinking of how they almost lost Zack.

"Yeah. Too bad we couldn't save that other girl," said Allison.

"Actually I got a call from the coroner this morning. Parents finally consented to an autopsy. She died of a sudden brain aneurysm. Totally unrelated to the virus. We couldn't have saved her if we tried." Allison nodded. The two sighed and went to go talk to Carey.

Hope that chapter is believable. It is possible for viral infections to go unnoticed in certain parts of the body. Next chapter is the last chapter. There will be a sequel. Please review.


	14. Chapter 14 Zack and Cody

Last chapter. Quick but nice chapter. Sequel coming soon.

Chapter 14 Zack and Cody

The surgery dragged on and on. To Carey it seemed like every minute was an hour. She and Maddie stayed in Cody's room. Cody was improving a little. He was responding to touch and his heart rate would go up if people talked to him. He had defied the odds and was making a fast recovery.

Carey and Maddie eventually fell asleep. They were exhausted from the days rollercoaster events. Carey was woken up by a nurse touching her shoulder.

"Mrs. Martin. Zack is out of surgery. His condition is critical but he's going to make it. He's a very lucky boy," said the nurse.

"Thank you," said Carey.

"We'll be moving him to a room soon. You can see him in about fifteen minutes," said the nurse. Carey nodded. She woke Maddie up and told her about Zack. Maddie was thrilled that he had made it.

Zack didn't look any different then before. Only this time he was bandaged all over. His chest and stomach had been opened and even his back had been operated on a little. The viral infection was gone and now Zack was receiving medicine to help cure him. Carey kissed him all over his face. She had nearly lost him. Now she felt even closer to him. She knew he was in for a long and painful recovery. But she knew that there was one person who would comfort Zack and take care of him more then anyone. One person who would do anything for his brother. Cody. Carey sat down next to her son and watched him sleep.

Zack woke up one week after his final surgery. He was still weak but was able to talk and eat on his own. But after two weeks he had still not seen Cody. Cody was still recovering from his operations. Finally after three weeks, Cody was given a clean bill of health and was discharged from the hospital. Zack was far from a complete recovery. Cody snuck into Zack's room late one rainy night. Zack was sleeping soundly. Cody laid down next to his brother and watched him sleep. Zack had been through so much in such a short amount of time. And Cody knew his journey was far from over. Zack yawned and woke up. He looked at Cody and smiled sleepily.

"Hi, Cody," said Zack.

"Hey, buddy," said Cody, kissing the top of Zack's head. Zack yawned again.

"Go back to sleep. We can talk when your stronger," said Cody. Zack nodded. Cody sat up so Zack could put his head on his chest. Cody wrapped his arms around his brother and held him as he slept.

I thought a simple ending would work. Sequel coming soon. Thanks everyone for reading.


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